Poisonous Plant Guide

Plants are a part of household design, decor and indoor living, but many plants chosen to be houseplants and landscaping plants for their aesthetic value, are in  fact poisonous plants. Knowing how to identify them and what the symptoms are when these plants are ingested will help to determine which plants to choose for a home or garden. In addition, knowing how to treat the individual that has ingested the plant will prevent harm that could have been averted.  A few of the most common poisonous household plants are included below:

• Castor Beans - Castor beans contain the most toxic plant poison in the world. They are found all over the world, from North America to Europe, but are predominantly found in the Western United States. They are marked by seven pointed leaves and have a cone shaped red flower. The beans are speckled brown and black and if ingested, induce vomiting and the call the poison control center. Ingestion could be fatal.
• Rosary Pea - This plant is identified by the bright red seeds, or pea, that have a single black dot on them. If this poisonous plant is swallowed, death follows quickly, within minutes to an hour, with widespread internal lesions. No known remedy will cure this poison.
• Monkshood - Also known as wolfsbane, monkshood is a purple flower suspended upon a stem that is toxic to humans, animals, and fowl. Found on most continents, this plant can be treated by inducing vomiting, and if the individual is awake, the poison may be diluted with quantities of milk or water until medical help can be found.
• Bushman's Poison - This plant is found in Africa and has been used for many years by the African tribes for their poison tipped arrows and darts for hunting purposes. It is a flowering bush, marked by slightly pink flowers and has groupings of large plum-like berries. The sap is poisonous, and if ingested, medical help should be sought immediately. The leaves, however, have medicinal properties.
• Angel's Trumpet - Related to tomatoes and also known as devil's snare, the plant is highly hallucinogenic and could lead to death. If swallowed, induce vomiting and call a physician. The plant resembles a long trumpet horn marked by yellow colors that fade into red at the tip.
• Water Hemlock - This plant is used all across the US as a landscaping plant for its simple compound flowers in white. Each grouping of white flowers is held by a stem attached to a main stem. The flowers and stems are safe, but the roots contain a toxin that is violent in its effects. Vomiting should be induced and a physician called if the toxic roots are ingested.
• Narcissus or Daffodil - The bulbs are toxic in this popular garden and house plant, not the flowers or stems. If ingested, use milk and/or water to dilute, induce vomiting and call a poison control center.

These are but a few of the poisonous plants found in gardens and houses across the world. If you aren't sure whether or not a plant in your home is poisonous, be sure to consult with a poisonous plant glossary or identifier. There are plenty of sites that can help you identify the plant in your home;

• Poison Ivy, Oak and sumac Information Center
• Wilderness Survival: Poisonous Plants
• Gardening Launch Pad's Guide to Poisonous Plants
• Identifying Poisonous Plants
• Poisonous Plant Database
• Articles on Poisonous Plants
• Utah Poison Control Center Poisonous Plant Guide
• Plant Guide from the Poison information Network

Knowing that some of the most popular plants used in landscaping can be harmful will assist the home owner or gardener in choosing the correct plants for their environments. You must also be careful when choosing plants if you have pets, since some plants are safe for humans but lethal to dogs or cats. As long as you research your plant choices, you should have a safe and healthy home.